Anesthesia pillow



y 7, 1940- J. T. CAPPEL 2.199.479

ANESTHESIA PILLOW Filed April 6, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor [fa2,061 v Attorneys May 7, 1940. CAPPEL 2,199,479

ANESTHESIA PILLOW Filed April 6, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor PatentedMay 7, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT' OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to pillows, and an object of the invention is toprovide a pillow designed particularly for assisting the anesthetist,making it possible for him to be relieved of the duty of using one ofhis hands in holding the patients head in the correct position duringthe administration of an anesthetic.

The invention together with its objects and advantages will be bestunderstood from a study of the following description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings; wherein:-

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a pillow of a size and shape toaccommodate a youth.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the pillow.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view thereof.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view through the pillow.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the pillow taken atright angles to Figure 4, and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure l but showing a pillow of a sizeand shape to accommodate an adult person.

Referring more in detail to the drawings it will be seen that inaccordance with the present invention the pillow comprises an outercasing 5 and a filler 6 of kapok or other suitable material.

The outer covering 5 is formed of leather or other suitable material andembodies a top wall or sheet I, a bottom wall or sheet 8, and aperripheral wall 9.

The walls I and 8 are stitched to the wall 9 as at [0.

As will be clear from a study of Figure 3, the wall 9 at opposite sidesof the pillow tapers conformably from the rear to the front of thepillow and the pillow hasa recess ll therein for receiving the neck andhead of a patient, the small part of the recess opening out through thefront edge of the pillow and the bottom of the recess is formed by theportions of the top and bottom sheets I and 8 being connected togetherso that the bottom of the recess does not have any filling between thewalls thereof.

The recess II at its inner end is enlarged and gradually reduces in sizeas it approaches the front edge of the pillow being open at the frontedge of the pillow as at l2.

The recess II and opening l2 thereof is of a size and shape toaccommodate the head and neck of the patient.

In Figure l the recess II and opening l2 are shown as of a size andshape to accommodate the head and neck of a youth and may be referred toas a junior size pillow, while in Figure 6 the recess Hand opening I!arelarger and of a slightly different shape from that shown in Figure 1and are provided to accommodate the head and neck of an adult person andmay 5 be therefore referred to as an adult size pillow,

It will also be understood that in actual practice the envelope orcasing may be made air tight and hollow and instead of using a fillersuch as shown at 6, said envelope or casing of the pil- 10 low may beinflated if found desirable.

In actual practice it will be found that the pillow will relieve theanesthetist of holding the patients head in the correct position duringthe administration of the anesthetic so that, having thus been relieved,the anesthetist has one hand available to manipulate the anesthetistmask and the other hand to operate the machine.

As shown more particularly in Figures 2, 4 and 5 the top of the pillowis formed with slightly rounded portions at the sides of the recess,each of these portions curving from the center downwardly toward theside of the pillow and toward the recess and in rear of the recess aconcavity is formed for receiving the neck of the patient when his headis placed in the large part. of the recess with the pillow turned tohave his neck passed over that part of the pillow between the recess andthe rear edge of the pillow.

When the patients head is in the large part of the recess and his neckis in the narrow front portion of the recess his head is held rigid andperfectly straight by the pillow.

When the pillow is to be used in mastoid operations it is turned at anangle of ninety degrees 35,

with the patients head in the large part of the recess and his neck andportions of the body passing across a side part of the pillow. Thisarrangement permits a vent or space, whereby the mask of the anestheticcan be used with greater 4o facility.

In using the'pillow for tonsilectomies it will be found that by rotatingthe pillow 180 the patients head is placed in a state of hyperflexionand retained in this position without further assistance from theanesthetist.

It is thought that a clear understanding of the' construction, utilityand advantages of a pillow of this character will be had without a moredetailed description.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, an anesthesia pillow ofsubstantially rectangular shape and gradually decreasing in thicknessfrom its 55 rear edge to itsifront edge, said pillow having a centrallyarranged recess therein for receiving the head and neck of a person,said recess having an enlarged inner portion for receiving the head anda narrow front portion for receiving the neck, said front portionpassing through the front edgeof the pillow and the rear wall oi! therecess being spaced from the rear edge of the pillow for leaving a ridgebetween the recess and said rear edge of the pillow for forming a restfor the neck of a patient when his head is placed in the large part ofthe recess with the patients neck extending over the ridge at the rearof the pillow.

2. As a new article of manufacture, an anesthesia pillow oi.substantially rectangular shape and gradually decreasing in thicknessfrom its rear edge to its front edge, said pillow having a' said frontportion passing throughthe front edge of the pillow and the rear wall ofthe recess being spaced from the rear edge of the pillow iorleaving aridge between the recess and said rear edge of the pillow for forming arest for the neck of a patient when his head is placed in the large part01' the recess with the patients neck extending over the ridge tom ofthe recess being unpadded and that part of the pillow between the largepart oi the recess and a side edge 01' the pillow acting to supportparts of the body, when the head is placed in the recess, in positionfor certain operations.

. JACK T. CAPPEI...

at the rear of the pillow, the bot-

